Thera 2.47: Anupama
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(167):Anupama Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter II. Two Verses =167. Anūpama= Reborn in this Buddha-age in a wealthy family at Kosala, his beauty obtained him the name of Anūpama - 'Unmatched.' Come of age, he felt the working of the efficient cause, forsook the world, and lived in the forest, 155 practising for insight. But his mind hovered about external objects, revolving about his theme for meditation, so that he thus rebuked himself: ---- 213 Nandamānāgataɱ cittaɱ sūlamāropamānakaɱ,|| Tena teneva vajasi yena sūlaɱ kaliŋgaraɱ.|| || 214 Tāhaɱ cittakaliɱ brūmi taɱ brūmi cittadubbhakaɱ,|| Satthā te dullabho laddho mānatthe maɱ niyojayīti.|| || ---- 213 O citta(mind)! gone searching after things that please, O you that shapes many a shaft of doom, There and there only do you ever tend Where block and stake rise at the bitter end. 214 I call you, heart, the breaker of my luck! I call you, heart, despoiler of my lot! Lo! He whom many an age you could not find, The Lord(Buddha) now is come - be it not That I to wreck and ruin be consigned.1 ---- Thus addressing his own consciousness, the Thera developed insight, and won arahantship(enlightenment). ---- 1 This eloquent poem is a miniature version of. Tālaputa's long-drawn-out apostrophe to his chitta (CCLXII.). The Commentary identifies kaliɱ with Kālakaṇṇī, goddess of bad luck. The last words of the text should, of course, be understood as mā anatthe, etc. ---- =2.5-7 167 Commentary on the stanza of Anūpamatthera= The stanza starting with nandamānā’gataṃ cittaṃ constitutes that of the venerable Thera Anūpama. What is the origin? This one also having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds conducive towards escape from rounds of repeated rebirths in this and that existence was reborn in a family home, thirty one aeons (kappa) ago; on having attained the age of intelligence, he, one day, happened to have met a silent Buddha named Paduma who was wandering about for alms-food, on a chariot road, became pious-minded, and made his reverential offering of aṅkola flowers (to him). On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings and was reborn in a wealthy faimly in the kingdom of Kosala, when this Buddha arose; he gained the name Anūpama owing to this good achievement (sampatti) of beauty. (rūpa); on having come of age, he forsook sensual pleasures (kāma) because of being endowed sufficing qualification for becoming an Arahant (upanissaya), became a monk, and dwelt in the forest doing the deed of developing spiritual insight (vipassanā). His mind roamed outside in such sense-objects as visible forms and so on. His mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna) became twisted (parivaṭṭati). The thera admonished himself controlling (niggaṇhanto) his running-away mind, by means of two stanzas.-- 213. “O mind! You have come rejoicing, resembling being mounted on a spike to be impaled; you go but to this and that place where there is spike, a piece of wood for impalment. 214. I speak of the misfortune of mind; I tell you about the treachery of my mind. The Master, difficult of gaining has been gained by you. Do not incite me to do what is not beneficial. There, nandamānāgataṃ citta means: O rejoicing, specially rejoicing mind! You have come and arisen rejoicingly, Sūlamāropamānakaṃ means: being mounted on a spike for impalement of this and that existence by deeds of depravity for so long a time, since an existence is similar to a spike for impalement because of its being the place of origin of pain (dukkha). Tena ten’eva vajasi, yena sūlaṃ kaliṅgaraṃ means: O evil mind! You go but to this and that place, where there is existence (bhava) reckoned as spike for impalement (sūla) and where there are strands of sensual pleasures (kāmaguṇa), which are executioner’s blocks reckoned as pieces of wood; that mind, you approach that very place; you do not bear in mind (sallakkhesi) your own disadvantage (anatthaṃ). Tāhaṃ cittakaliṃ brūmi means: Therefore, to you, I speak of the bad-luck (kaliṃ) and misfortune of mind, because of being negligent. Taṃ brūmi means: again also I tell you; Cittadubbhakaṃ means: treacherous mind, because it brings about disadvantage to one’s own continuity of many manners, reckoned as mind. Scholars read also as “cittadubbhāgā;” meagre merit which is not considered by what is reckoned as mind; thus, is the meaning. If asked why should you say? He said: “Satthā te dullabho laddho, mānatthemaṃ niyojayi” means: There is such a phenomenon as a world without Buddha for inumerable number of aeons (kappa); even when a Master has appeared, but difficult of gain are such events as the condition of a human being, the apt gain of pious faith (saddhā) etc., when those have been gained also, the Master, however, is but difficult of gain even; in this way the Master who is difficult of gaining, had now been gained by you. Now also (sampatipi) when that Master has been gained, do not incite me in such acts as are disadvantageous, non-benefical, in future and also in matters which bring about disadvantage, miserable pain (dukkha) and what is sinful (akusale). In this manner, the Thera instructing his own mind, immediately developed increasingly his spiritual insight (vipassanā) and attained Arahantshiip. Hence has it been said in the Apadāna:–-- “The self-awakened silent buddha, named Paduma, then dwelt at Citta- kūṭa; having seen that silent buddha, self-dependent and invincible, I happened to have noticed the Aṅkola tree blooming; having, then, plucked the flowers I approached the self awakened silent buddha Paduma, the conqueror. It was thirtyone aeons ago that I made my reverential offering of flower; I do not remember any evil existence, this is the fruitful result of making my reverential offering to the silent buddha. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Anūpama is complete. ----